I pretty much suck right now....

Racquetball tore up my calves and core muscles so bad that I haven't been on a bike in 4 going on 5 days. Flat out - I can't push the pedals. Then I do recover some today, so I go for a night ride and I get maybe 3/4 of a mile from my house and have a mechanical. Back home, fix it in the garage, and do you think I'm motivated to get back out? Fu&k no.

R-ball again this Thursday, and no - I'm not quitting. I'm also not quitting the Durango race in a few weeks. F'n quitters suck, and I've quit enough stuff to know that it just makes me feel like a sack o' shit for doing it. I can get my shwerve back tomorrow....I think so anyway. Into work at 6am and home on my bike by 3pm. Yeah - now that sounds like some healing tonic.

I'm Back..

Back on the racquetball court that is. It's been nearly one year to the day that I last played - and now I realize how much I missed that sport. I joined a league, and showed up last night with a lot of energy, but that was about it. My body has morphed into a cycling-specific shell of its former self, and I was hurtin'. We play two matches per week, and my first one was with probably the 4th best player in a 10 person league. I fared pretty well in the first game, and took the win - at the expense of shaky legs, and cramping hips. I kind of tanked the second game once I got behind, and saved myself for the tie-breaker game which I won 11-2. I walked off the court with crampy, tight, and twitchy leg/hip/back muscles. Fortunately, my second match was against a very intermediate player so I was able to just keep the ball in play and let him make mistakes for an easy 15-5, 15-3 match win.

I can't believe how out of balance I am. Yeah, I can ride a bike, but Jesus - ask me to do anything else and I'll be as sore as you can imagine the next day. The good news is that this is a 1x per week league, so by the third week I should start to feel good again. I'm kind of trying to get a jump start on the fall/winter leagues and tournaments since I am ready to give bike riding a rest after the August 4th event in Durango.

So, I'm undefeated so far - I think I'll just bask in that glory for now. Next week I'll be playing one of the top 2 guys, and unless I pull one out of my a**, I'll probably lose a couple of games.

I have some big rides planned this weekend which I'm excited about. Lyza B is around all weekend and next week, so that's cool. D might be leaving her post soon - so big transtions in the Bosselhousehold.

Hey - have a good weekend - and your PIC o the Day for Friday!

So this is what your face looks like if you have a 29% approval rating? If you were a football player and 29% of the coaches thought you should play - then you would ride the bench. If I had a 29% approval rating at work, I would be fired. If you received 29% of a vote, you would lose.

So tell me - why are 1 out of every 4 Americans still saying he's doing a good job? Another question, why has it taken so long to GET to a 29% approval rating. I love his most recent power play where he's placed a gag order on the proceedings to investigate the fired US attorneys. Good times in the Black House.

I can't wait for 2008 - actually, January 20th 2009 to be precise.

More importantly, I can't wait until Saturday, August 4th.....Durango, here I come!

Where do I start? What a great weekend. Photo #1 is D with 1/2 of a Clif bar in her trap...we were on the uphill side of a long, hard ride in the Dixie National Forest in southern Utah.

Photo #2 is of the bird sanctuary outside of our room in Boulder, UT. Sweet serenity for me.

Photo #3 is my wasted face after I don't know how many miles of climbing and descending - I was even more tired than I looked, but it was a good tired - you know - the kind that makes you want to eat a 2 pound burrito, and vomit at the same time. Yeah, that good kind of tired. I bet I could have placed 5th in that Coney Island hot dog eating contest after that ride, but I would have taken top honors in the vomit volume contest.

Photo #4 is the top of the pass heading down then towards Capitol Reef National Park. We started climbing at 6,400 feet - and 11 miles later - VOILA! 9,600 feet. The 8% grades hurt me, but D said "I just can't go that slow" and pedaled on past me to take the KOM points at the top...grrrr.

Photo #5 is the new dawgg - Bodhi. I named him after this guy because he's 3-toned and he's kinda small, but D liked the name and decided that it meant this. I agreed to meet in the middle since I'm about as spiritual as your next door Agnostic, and D is into the yoga stuff. It's all good. He's a great dog, and a hella fun to have around with our old dog Jamocha.

#6 is Lyza after a hard day of playing. You could say she falls asleep like this about every night.

#7 is D and Lyza re-enacting a rat that they chased out of our kitchen. A rat you say? Yeah - I said the same damn thing. We live in a city with about 7% humidity year round - and I can count the field mice I have seen in the forest after a rain. Turns out, it was a neighbor's pet. Lyza and D scared it so bad, we think it had a heart attack on the front lawn and died in a pool of sprinkler water less then 1/16" deep. Kinda tragic really....but the re-enactment cracked me up.

Shit! 4 weeks until Durango. I better keep on keepin' on. Actually, I'm feeling pretty good about my chances and I'm in pretty good shape right now. I may look like crap, but I can ride kinda fast for 3-4 hours. I hope you're having a great summer - this one has been memorable so far for us.

NIGHT MOUNTAIN BIKE RIDING

Probably one of my favorite things to do. I had a chance to get out tonight for a couple of hours in pitch black. No moon until the last 5 minutes of the ride, as it crept over the eastern side of Mount Elden. If you have ridden at night you know that all you can focus on is what is 2-10 feet in front of your front wheel. I find it is very relaxing, as it limits your senses, slows you down a click or two, and really lets you listen to your heartbeat, your breathing, and of course - wildlife.

A few years back I was on a solo night ride in Sedona. As I came around a corner, I practically ran over a couple sleeping on the trail. It scared me just as much as them. Lately, the only things I run across are branches breaking from critters running for cover from my high beam, an occasional reflection from an animal's eye - which always raises the ol' heart rate, and every now and then I get to see city lights from the passes in the mountains.

I wouldn't have won any races tonight at my steady pace up the 2000 climb - up and over Mount Elden, but damn if I didn't just absolutely LOVE being out there. I mean honestly, if I got clipped tomorrow, my 'last ride' would have been a good one to end on. 16 miles, all singletrack, and not a soul around.

Time for bed - up early, and off to Utah for the weekend. I can't f'n wait to hike in and around the rivers, and road ride up the passes for 3 days. We're going here - where we got married last summer. Woo hoo! Have a safe 4th weekend...

Rode the new Lefty....loved it. It's as plush as my couch, and tracks like a beast. The problem is that it's hooked up to a bike with 26" wheels.

I love my Rig again. More on the weekend soon....

MONDAY - BLUDDY MONDAY:

We get to hear 'confessions of a German doper' on Monday.....can't wait. His name is Jorg Jashke and he will have a major press conference on Monday. He'll name names, riders will get yanked from the Tour de France, and, well, at least we'll have a start list that is as legit as it can be. I'm all for it.

http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/12503.0.html

I follow cycling now with almost a cartoon-like view of the "amazing" feats these top guys pull off on climbs that would break most good riders into submission. I still think its fun to follow, but I'm a little jaded about the whole thing.

You wanna see a real human triumph? Remember the Julie Moss 1982 Ironman Triathlon finish? She was 20 minutes ahead going into the marathon, and by the end she lost control of her bowels, crawled to the finish line on all fours with feces all over her legs - and was passed 31 seconds before she finished - she ended up in second place. THAT was a triumph, and for your viewing pleasure I have linked it here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=tRB1p89k7_I

So Josh - when you are pushing your Supercaliber this weekend, make sure to leave it ALL on the course...and I mean everything including your breakfast, lunch, and dinner....good luck!

CB

The owner's meeting is over. Facts:
-I woke up with a nice case of 'rhea and got to hang on to it all day
-Sweated through my 'jersey' - aka dress shirt like I rode 50 miles off road
-Developed cramps in my legs as the onset of a cold took its toll
-Came home, slept for an hour, and now the cramps are gone and I have a headache and a stuffy nose.
-I still have a job

Jesus Focker, you would think that I would explode if I encountered a real problem. Doing a dog and pony show for the owners is always stress-laden....and because it was hotter than hell today, that made it much worse. Then - I get Lyza and she's a trainwreck from too many activities and a bunch of junk sh*t food with her Mom. She collapsed around 6pm - woke up - had a bath, ate dinner, and was suddenly a new person again. She just went down for the night at 9:30pm.

No Goddamn bike yet from the shop in Cottonwood. It should be ready tomorrow though. I'm dying to ride the revamped machine. My knees are sore from that 50K+ effort on Saturday, which tells me that my single speed days are probably numbered. I've been riding that pig for months now, and I'm now starting to break down.

What else - I kicked the dog, beat the wife, and put a tear in my beer. My week sounds like a damn country music song.

BIG owner's meeting tomorrow. These things always suck. I put on a pound of deodorant/anti-persp and still soak the shirt. Instead of focusing on the fact that we're making a boatload of cash for the owners, they nitpick things like water pitcher sizes, fitted sheets that don't fit an oversized mattress (duh?) and what we carry in the gift shop. Every now and then I get a bone, a stroke of some sort, but the rest of the time its just expected. I freakin' shower my crew with positive comments and such. Oh well, just keep my schedule flexible and throw me an occasional spiff and I'm cool wit dat. Maybe if I had any semblance of ambition I'd work for myself, but for crissakes, the Grand Hotel burned me out of working hard for the rest of my life - so forget that. My 5 years there was like doing hard time.

I have no races or events the next couple of weeks - so I have to rely on self discipline to train, and that is always a disaster. Family time, desserts, beer, and actual work get in the way every time. I do admit to riding my trainer in the garage this morning watching the 2004 Tour so I could get some ride time in since Lyza was asleep and D was gone. I know - it's 75 out and I'm a loser for even dusting the trainer off.

SEE ya

Kind of a Fu*ked Up Week

So squirty is out of school, and summer camp doesn't start for 2 weeks. That means swimming lessons at 10:30am, dragging her down to work for a few hours a day, putting her to bed around 9, and back on the computer at the "home office" for a few hours. You know what that means....when I get bored, its www.velonews.com, www.cnn.com, www.sevencycles.com, and www.drunkcyclist.com. Good times! Of course, I have to throw some sh*t on my friend's blogs too.

I got an e-mail today from a blast from the past friend named Marcus Erectus (that was what we called him 'cause it rhymed). Dude lives in Madison, WI. I met him at NAU when we were in college in the late 80's. He's smart, has a hottie ultra-loyal yoga instructor trophy wife, 3 perfect kids, a red Dodge Caravan for road trips, and he runs a high profile think tank organization that specializes in auditing, and consulting for credit unions. The kid was a total f*ck off golden boy in College, and you just knew he would do "well" by the typical standards of success. I didn't know how to take his e-mail because he was hitting me up for a room quote - almost like a request for proposal - and gloating over the fact that his 8-year old was just at a week-long Chinese immersion "camp" at a private University in Minneapolis.

I read that, and just said "What the f*ck"? Chinese immersion camp? Is that like some cooking school? Ahhhh, I knew exactly what it was/is and it even further distanced me from these successful peers I have been referring to. Jesus Christ, I wouldn't even think for a second to place Lyza B in an immersion camp at age 8. Maybe a summer camp where she can make cool stuff, play outside, and play a ton of games. I'm probably reading too much into it - I'm sure the Chinese camp is loaded with food/language games/physical games etc.....it just seems so....snotty. Oh and at the end he threw in this line "Oh, and I'm running my first marathon in October". OK Mr. everything....is there anything you haven't mastered? I just want to hire him and get some photos of his perfect wife banging him. That'll take him down a notch.

Time for bed. THIS is ready for pickup tomorrow. It'll be like Christmas is June - and YES Josh, Ellen, Jeff, Big Steve, and A to the E - I'm gonna ride the 100K at Purgatory. You know why? Because I will never hear the end of it from you f*ckers if I take the easy route and ride the 50K. Here's to hell on wheels, a sore back, and a few saddle sores - -Mom, I want some butt butter for Christmas, OK?

Holy 5 Hour Ride Batman

JD came up and we rode from 7:30 - 12:30. Something a little over 50K. It was everything I expected and more. No flats, no mechanicals, and I kept up with him on my SS while he rode the gears....that felt great. The good news is that I'm gaining confidence for the 100K ride in Durango next month. MMMMMMMMMmmmmmm Colorado - can't wait to go. I'm gonna keep it real low key and camp in the parking lot at Purgatory....bring all my own food, and just lay low. It'll take me 10 hours to ride 100K on that course. Just thinking about it is pretty intimidating to me, especially since I've quit after 50K on 2 previous attempts.

Scott is rolling into town on his motorcycle in a few minutes. The dude works for a company that gives you a 1-month sabbatical after 10 years of service. I would seriously stay at my resort that long just for that benefit. How cool. We'll get the scoop on his motorcycle trip tonight.

Have you seen Little Children? Check it out on DVD - it's kinda Magnolia-ish.

I'm tired and rambling. more later

Day 2 of no subscription to the Wall Street Journal....you see, we went to a Solstice party last night, and my RIG needed a little bit o' work before the EPIC ride tomorrow soo........I decided that as much pressure as there is to be a 'normal' adult, I just don't have it in me. My professional peers go to Chamber of Commerce events, volunteer at their kids schools, they drive really huge SUV's, have huge homes, and they dress like they walked out of a J-Crew catalog. My friends and I wear crusty T-shirts and flip flops, read headlines only and bullshit the rest, have strong work ethics - but - work because we have to, we joke about things like net worth and portfolios, and we play as much as we can. I guess my point is if I die in a Masters 55+ bike race then I'm covered financially. If I live much longer than that, I'm f*cked. Allright, its not that bad - but I feel like that when I talk to my peeps like Big Mike and Marko who have 200K in their 401K's......of course, they also look like The MICHILIN MAN.

I have a huge, phat, phun ride planned for tomorrow morning with my Sedona homie JD. He's bringing his new Ibex mail-order bike up for a romp through the forest. We're both getting ready for the Durango marathon bike event in August, and this 4 hour pounding will help get us there. I'll probably need a couple shots of espresso after the ride just to stay away until 7pm. Unless we have a massive mechanical issue it should be a great ride.

I better go get the WSJ subscription done before I forget....

Yup - I got real far with that big talk about getting a subscription to the Wall Street Journal and getting up to speed on politics. After a long day at the office, I went home last night, washed the remnants of a paintball off the side of my car (I got blasted on the way down to Phoenix), got some Thai food, gave Dana a massage for her birthday - crashed out. OK - so maybe I'll get up and write my politicians, and read the WSJ, right? Wrong....I took advantage of the perfect summer weather and the long day (Summer Solstice) and rode up to the top of Snowbowl road with Dana. We were both sandbagging at the bottom, you know, saying stuff like "I'm just gonna take it easy today"..."I'm spent from last week"....yeah right. I punched it on the first part of the climb - she caught me on the flat - I punched it on the next climb, and held her off by a minute over the next 4 miles of the climb. 6.2 miles, 39.5 minutes, 2000 feet of gain, heartrate average of 173. Yeah - I worked my ass off. The scary thing is that D was only a minute back with an average heart rate of 159. That means if she really throws it down, I'm toast.....as in toasted cheese, the stuff you eat in Wisconsin and wash down with Rhinelander beer.

So much for the Wall Street Journal - I'll get on that tomorrow....or the next day.

I just rolled back into Flagstaff after an immigration seminar. I learned that I am pathetic. I couldn't even name my 3 State Legislators - you know - the guys who go to Washington on my State's behalf and actually VOTE to make changes in our country. I learned that the best publication I could read on a daily basis is the Wall Street Journal. I also learned some very interesting polling statistics about this issue, and how it is only a Top 5 issue when it is presented. What I mean by that is if you ask 100 random people what their concerns are with the candidates for the 2008 election, things like jobs, health care, Iraq etc finish WAY ahead of immigration. However - if you give a polled person a list of 5 things to choose from (including immigration) - immigration ends up being in the top 3.

Net result - I'm spending $99 to subscribe to the WSJ's online service for a year, and I'm sh*tcanning my subscription to Sports Illustrated. That mag has gotten stale for me since I don't watch sports on TV anymore. I'm also determined to write one letter a month to our state reps to let them know what I'm thinking. They may give me a canned response 11 times, but I'll live for that one personal response that I was heard.

For the record, my stance on immigration is this: Let 'em into the country, and fine employers severely if they are not setting up non-citizen labor as legitimate employees - which will assure that they are paying taxes and they paying our social security fund for for US CITIZENS only. In short - no under the table employees. As non-US Citizens they are not entitled to any Social Security benefits, and they cannot vote. They should be allowed to place their US-born children in schools because they are citizens - and these children qualify for any state healthcare/assistance programs. Any non-citizen should not be denied emergency medical treatment - but that's it. The essence is this - immigration is not a problem, it is a migration of people due to socio-economic issues, and this has been going on since the beginning of time. We should embrace this, and also offer those that contribute positively to the US a reasonable path to citizenship - say something like 10 years.

On a better note, I squeezed in 50 miles of road riding in the wee hours of the morning and evening when it was below 110 degrees in Satan's Lair that most people refer to as Phoenix. I'm kinda in a state of flux as I'm losing motivation to train, but I have a hella-hard event coming up on August 4th.

We just returned from a great family vacation in Minneapolis over the past week. Things could not have been better really, which put a big fat smile on my face the entire time. We rolled down to Phoenix last friday night, and stayed in a hotel. We ravaged the pool, the hot tub, the beach balls, and hooted and hollered until it closed at 11:00pm. Up the next day, not too early, and we took a cab to the airport. Stuff I take for granted like taxis - just thrilled Lyza. It was cool to see her perspective on a 'fun' cab ride. The flight(s) (connection in Denver to Mpls) were pretty good, although Dana and I got green in the face on the first one as the plane hit windshear outside of Denver. I couldn't WAIT to get off that plane.

We spent the week entirely with family in the cities. We skipped the cabin up north - and just played at the beach on Lake Minnetonka, took the speedboat out nearly every day and evening, played wiffleball, and ate like kings. D and I rented a couple of road bikes from nearby Penn cycle, and rode 3 mornings - around 120 miles total - just soaking up the low elevation air, the GREEN landscape, and the great lake and farm roads that had nice shoulders to ride safely on. It made me realize just how bike friendly MN is compared to AZ.

We had a ton of laughs, and everyday started with the attitude of "hey - its nice out, what should we do today?". We had no planned destinations, no "must sees", and it felt great to play that way.

We came back late last night, and crashed again in Phoenix. Up early, and we dropped Lyza off at her Mom's. I'm kinda having a little male post-partum as I miss that little kid a lot. However, it sure feels good to be home, to give the dogs some much needed attention, and to celebrate our 1-year wedding anniv.

The pics up top tell the story pretty well. Happy Father's Day to y'all.

CB

Thursday Ramblings

For those of you who don't follow pro road cycling, you should. Its better than any reality or talent show simply because it's real. You have incredible athletes throwing everything they have ever worked towards into the wind by following their team doctor's 'recommendation' to use performance enhancing drugs. Let's just say there is a lot of pressure to win - and to win - you have to cheat (see Lance Armstrong). Just today, Quickstep gets raided, and former Belgian star Frank Vandenbrouke - fresh off of being busted with EPO and roids but claimed they were for his dog (seriously - he said that) - barely survives a suicide attempt. You can't get this on TV, only in pro cycling.

It was nice to see John McCain stand out on a stage of white male puppets. If I select anybody other than Hillary, Obama, or Bill Richardson, it would be John McCain from the GOP side.

Road ride tomorrow morning, and then off to Minnesota for a week. I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time on the lake, a lot of time eating, and hopefully we can score some Hamms Beer. Because "When you're out of Hamms, you're out of Beer."

Wish my Scalpel well tonight - she's getting a new rack up front (front fork), and some liposuction on her legs (lighter wheelset)........Oh, and she's also getting some Lipo on the back end too with a new wheel and hub. She may not be young, but she's still a looker.

DROPPED

So I rolled into the new shop in Cottonwood to get my Scalpel updated for the new millenium - and lo and behold there's a Cat 3-5 group ride going off at 4:30pm....I had my roadie with me, and quick change, and I'm in the 7 man group riding out of Cottonwood in 90 degree temps. Of course, the warm up was 4 minutes, and the boys hit the first hill hard. We then went into a paceline to give 3 young riders (ages 15-19) a chance to work as a group. We were heading up to Sedona on 89A at a 22mph clip - my heart rate was in the mid 160's - I was doing OK knowing we had some downhill coming up.

Off of 89A and we plunge into Page Springs, and the attacks start. I got used like a rented mule after a pull through, and 3 dudes rocketed past me while 3 fell off the back as I chased. Net result - no man's land. I wasn't strong enough to hang with the 3's, but I was ahead of the 5's. I guess that makes me a 4.....a hurtin 4, because I was hurting pushing 170 on the heart rate o' meter. We regrouped after a climb, and then cruised back to Cottonwood where I got dropped by everyone on a climb out of Cornville. I blamed that on the heat, and primarly, the fact that I couldn't hang. I guess that makes me a Cat 5 again. F*ck it - it was hard work, I loved it, and I was competing with guys that are better than me on the road which is always good fun.

THESE will be added to the Scalpel this week....The financial subcommittee (D) approved the budget variance based on the fact that "it brings you great joy and it keeps you in shape". Of course, the sales pitch for the Mavic Crossmax SLR's was shot down, since you can get relatively the same amount of joy from a set of XM819's....but I'm good with that - I'm just excited about going tubeless with a quality valve on the 819's. Oh - that means new tires too....

The Scalpel - 2007 rebirth coming to a trail near you soon.

That's what I'm talkin' 'bout. I got your Corporate Motivation right here.

9:15pm, Thursday, May 31st

My chance to exercise finally after working, kids, house chores......."When you stop taking chances, you stop living" Not Aristotle, not Socrates - but Laird Hamilton, pro sufer. I think his quote is somewhat accurate, regardless, it was my mantra last night:

Road bike, Snowbowl Road, Full moon - no lights on my bike
The moon lights up the landscape so brightly in sections that it seems as though headlights are shining onto the road and into the trees
I went up the 10K climb quietly, moderately, and let my eyes adjust to the night
no cars
no people
But I could feel the elk and the deer watching me - as twigs broke and leaves rustled on the sides of the road. 50 minutes to the top...
At the top it was cold, so I quickly turned around and went down
rode the brakes a bit and carefully looked out for those animals so I didn't hit one - or so they didn't hit me
What is normally a 10 minute descent at 40mph took 13+ minutes - I was just fine with that as I watched for rocks and debris like a hawk.
Past the wildlife and on the homestretch I came across the real threat that night...jackass kids racing their cars on the 1-mile straightaway that marks the start of the climb. I was one of them once, so I didn't curse or yell. I just moved over, stopped and waited for them to finish.
Back to the car, warm, safe, a moderately risky ride, but man did I feel alive.

KARMA?

Holy sh*t I must have done something right, because this store just opened up in Cottonwood which means I finally have a Cannondale dealer within a reasonable drive. Fortunately the store owner is on our cycling team - but so far he's been less than helpful in the 'discount' department, but more than helpful in finding good options for me. I'll support that any day, as I know he has to make a living too. I've been jonesing for a LEFTY for a while, and they have a trade-in program for old Headshoks like mine. Of course - this means a new wheelset too since all of Cannondale's stuff is proprietary. And while I'm getting a new tubeless wheelset, that means new tires too. This sport can be a money pit - but new bling is so damn fun. Good thing I'm not into Motocross or I'd be dropping several grand on this upgrade.

You know its a slow news day when the top headlines are about a Russian Spy, a women with insufferable morning sickness, and some Miss USA chick who fell on the stage and was booed by the Mexican crowd. At least Kobe Bryant is stirring it up in the NBA, and the Twins are on a 4- game winning streak after sweeping the Sox.

Full moon road ride tonight up to the Ski resort after squirty goes to bed - can't wait!

I was just feelin' FLAT as a pancake all weekend with no energy to ride fast. I finally broke through last night with a hard effort, personal best on my local loop. Everything fell into place...legs, lungs, no mechanicals.....and if that damn RIG isn't the most fun 2-wheeler to ride, I don't know what is. I mean sh*t - this is the least expensive mountain bike I have owned in 15 years, and it is by far my favorite ride. I guess that is a testament to American engineering, Taiwan labor, and volume manufacturing. I would prefer to purchase an American designed/made bike, but I can only afford to do that with my geared MTB and the roadie.

Got a cool rest of the week - Little Squirty B comes over after school today for a couple of days and a 1/2 day Friday, and then a nice weekend with D.....We're headin to Minnesota soon, so that is comin' round the corner.

The jury is still out on this, this, and this. Life is short - so I'm gonna try to do at least 2 out of 3.

GOOD TIMES - GOOD WEEKEND

Thursday night we agreed to bail on our plans to go up to Durango for the weekend. It just felt like too much of a push to make it happen, and....and.....I had a hunch that getting everyone checked into the hotel on Friday night might be tough. Always act on your hunches, because most of the time yer right. Turns out, I had to deal with two reservations that - well - they didn't have reservations, and our crew had screwed both of them up. I had to find places for them to stay, and it was a little tense. At one time I could feel my staff just hiding behind the desk so they could stay out of the line of fire. Everything turned out OK and I left Friday night feeling good about the decision to stay.

We got up around 8am on Saturday, ate a colossal breakfast, and did a 50+ mile road ride. It felt good to work hard, and I pulled most of the way because D was getting blown around like a doll in the crosswinds. We got back, took it easy, and went downtown to watch the Summit Center Criterium - a bike race through the city streets. I would have loved to have raced in it, but since we planned on going to Colorado I didn't sign up. Good thing though, because last weekend in Prescott still has me hurting a bit....... It was a great time - and the PRO fields featured some really close races with none other than Jeannie Longo showing up to crush the local women. Jeannie was born in 1958 - she's 49 years old and she kicked the CRAP out of the 20 and 30 year old Arizona Pros.....awesome.

Sunday, woke up at the crack of ass and hit the yard for 3.5 hours of weeding, planting, mowing, etc....the yard needed some love and it got plenty. Kinda chilled in the afternoon, and then decided to ride my singlespeed around the base of Mount Elden. It's a great ride -probably something like 24 miles +- a few. The terrain is all singletrack except for about a 2-mile stretch along a 2-track gas pipeline that skirts the town. Technical, rocky, then smooth, then up, then down, then sand pits - you name it, this ride has it. 3 hours later I was home and happy. D and I went out for some Za (that's pizza Mom), and crashed after sitting by a fire in the chiminea on the back deck.

Today was just about hanging out. We got the dogs up into the peaks for a couple of hours and neither one of them have woken up since we got home. We researched a commuter scooter we're going to get for D. Just a 125 - enough to keep up with traffic, yet it gets around 80MPG. Time for some Chiliquilas and a 24 ounce bottle of Corona. Put the capper on the weekend, ya know?!

WELL WELL WELL - some big issues

1.) Immigration is getting a lot of attention, and this is the time when you hear right wing windbags professing their knowledge of the subject. You hear words like amnesty defined by whomever is blowing smoke on whatever show. This is a humanitarian issue for me - above the socio-economic issue, and well above the elitist "We're American's and they are not" issue. Spend one day in an immigrant's shoes and then get back to me on your view. We're all so far removed from our ancestors being immigrants - and the struggles that they faced and the oppotunity that they sought - that most of us look at this issue from a poor perspective.

2.) When will people recognize that the Bush Administration is the worst modern-day American regime that we have had in office? Jimmy Carter was right.

3.) My Mom actually told me that she couldn't talk long because she had to get to the TV to see American Idol.

4.) Team Telekom and its top riders from the mid-1990's have confessed to using EPO....rampant use. Now it is Bjarne Riis' turn to step up and fess up. Let's be honest people, the WADA was created to combat drug use in cycling MANY MANY years ago - so you think Armstrong didn't dope? Riiiiiight.

5.) We're staying Flag this weekend to ride and hike. Happy Memorial Day Weekend to you too.

Next year they'll be putting this sign out when I cross the finish line at races - 40?! WTF - I was 25 about 3 years ago, or so it seems.

BODHI

AKA Bodhistar - as coined by Lyza B one afternoon.

He is definately the mellowest puppy we have ever had...compared of course to a dalmation and a lab.

Time for training - D will have him whipped into shape in a couple of months as we work on getting him to heel, fetch, and eat anything and everything in the woods (Jamocha will teach him that).

The B-man....the newest addition to the family, and of course D's baby.

Final Whiskey Stats:

65th place out of 108 50 mile riders
Finishing time was 5 hours and 30 minutes
Over 400 riders for the event - about 1/2 did the 25'er and 1/2 did the 50
I beat some guys I didn't think I could, and I got beat by some guys who I didn't think would (is that Dr. Seus talking?).

It's Tuesday, and I'm 85% recovered. I'm excited about getting on my road bike this weekend in Durango, CO. WOO HOO!

Sufferfest Volume II

The Whiskey 50 concluded for me on Saturday at approximately 12:20pm. 5 hours and 20 minutes total. 20 minutes short of my goal. Honestly, at mile 42, I could not wait to finish - and I even started going into that anger phase - completely bypassing any sort of euphoric feeling that I usually get at the end of a race. If I had a morphene drip at the finish line, that would have been great.

It was a gorgeous morning, with the race starting at 7am - temp around 60 - sunny and little wind. I would estimate that there were 200 people in the 50 mile event, with maybe 75 in the 25 mile event, and less than 30 in the 15 mile event. Everybody was pretty laid back at the starting line, and we had a police escort for the first 3 miles to the dirt....that was pretty cool. The "warmup" was atrocious climbing out of Prescott - and I fell into the middle of the pack because of it. We all hit the first singletrack and there was nowhere to pass, which was fine with me. I took 5 minutes and sat in my place in line recovering behind a singlespeeder who was having a tough time on the technical stuff. Once I got my wind, I passed some dudes and chix, topping out at the first climb, and then plummeting about 1000 feet into a creekbed. It true Precott fashion, once you hit a gulch, you start climbing back up immediately, So back UP UP UP to the first aid station....I blew past that because I had suffered on the climb to it - and wanted to make up some time so I headed down the 10 mile descent to Skull Valley. It was fast and I got in a paceline with some dudes and we ripped that section apart. This part of the course kind of played with your head, because we passed the race leaders as they were coming back up the climb - so you could see just how far you had fallen behind. I was around 15 minutes down from the leader at that point. At the bottom, I again blew off the aid station, and then headed back UP the climb that we just came screaming down. I was doing great until....

Cramp. My right hamstring sent my brain a message I did not want to hear. I stopped immediately, stretched my leg and right then a buddy came by and handed me 3 E-Caps. The potassium in those was very helpful but of course, not right away. Psychologically it helped, and I hopped back on, but physically, I was dealing with cramps that I have not experienced before. The road back up was steep enough to force me into a 22 x 30 gearing in many spots, and with my legs hurtin', I could have never pushed my singlespeed up that hell hill. The climb was 12 miles and 3000 feet - so by the time I hit the top I was shot. There were many people sitting in shady spots on their bikes taking breathers from the steep road and the heat. The ONLY reason I stayed on my bike was because I would have caught a rash of shit from my teammates if they saw me hunched over. 42 miles in - 8 to go, and mentally I was done. Fortunately, the rest of the way was primarily downhill singletrack, which I blasted through as fast as I could. There were 2 short climbs over those 8 miles, and I walked one of them because I kept cramping up when the terrain changed. When I got off my bike, my right hamstring again seized and it took me a few minutes to shake it off. Walking helped - so back on the bike, and down a nasty little creek bed. After that, the FU*KING ROAD! I felt bad for one dude who flatted 50 feet from the road....that's bad luck.

I coasted down the road, and still no euphoria. My ass was on fire, both quadriceps muscles were cramping when I stood up to climb, my hammies were tight as guitar strings and I was was just done. They routed us back to the finish line through town, and I could feel some A-hole gunning it to get past me - I was thinking 'dude - what are you rocketing it for? We're talkin' about 75th place here - if we're lucky'. So I gunned it, and beat him to the line by about 3 seconds. We probably looked like idiots, but he wanted to go, and I wasn't gonna lay down and let him.

No damage to the bike, which was incredible on a rocky course like this. My tires are pretty wrecked, but no flats, broken chains....whew. What I did have was a constantly rubbing disc brake, and a rear hub that is done - it was dragging and I could feel it on the downhills when I had to pedal to stay with guys who were 20 pounds lighter than me.

Minor mechanicals aside, even if I had not cramped, I would not have made my 5 hour goal. It was hard, dusty, hot...........but now that I'm one day removed from it, I'll have my name on the start list for 2008. To improve I'll need to focus more on core strengthening exercises so my back won't be so tired, and I have to do a better job of pacing myself and not getting caught up in the testosterone frenzy. I still have a lot to learn regarding these long endurance rides, and it makes me realize why the best endurance riders are usually in their 30's and 40's.

Reddy, Willin' an' Abel

Plans are set - I'm headed to Prescott this weekend for the Whiskey 50. Elevation ranges from 5500 to 8000 feet. It's a delicious recipe of singletrack, doubletrack, views, heat, and it starts and ends at Whiskey Row shown below. It used to be a serious derelict hangout until they cleaned it up about 10 years back and chased the drifters and punks outta town. There's 8 bars left to crawl through - so you can do some damage if you want.

I might need a little of the Jan Ullrich special drink to win the thing, and since that won't happen, I'll probably roll in around 4.5 to 5 hours. The winner last year was at 3:40. A 5 hour finish puts you in the top 1/2. My last ride before the race was today, and I rode a tough course with a buddy that was on a 37 pound freeride Azonic. It was nice because I didn't have to go full throttle, and I feel great about not wasting myself.

The Scalpel is almost dialed in completely, and I feel great on it again now that I have done 3 rides with it - getting used to the handling and the small fry sized 26" wheelset has been tougher that I thought. I REALLY like the 29" wheels. If I had an extra grand, I would sell the Scalpel and take the total sum to buy a geared 29'er.

Big Steve called me about 9-mile again, and its gonna be a snowball's chance in hell for me to get there this year. Then again, with direct flights to Wausau, you never know. That event is always a great time.

OK - off to Soccer Practice for the kiddos soon......more to follow.

FINALLY

After a 5am wakeup from the dogs, a walk at sunrise, off to work, back home - change - soccer game for Lyza....I got out on the Scalpel. Great ride, just a great ride. It all went by so fast, that I was home before I knew it . Sometimes I think about things when I ride, but today was different. I bolted out and it was over in 2 hours - almost as if time just stopped. Ahhhh well. Walked the dogs again - they were psycho - and ate some burritos for dinner.

I have some COMP time from this weekend, so I'll take some Monday. Maybe a 1/2 day of work, a road ride - and the D gets back from Hawaii. Can't wait!

Speaking of the Scalpel - riding gears after a 6 month hiatus feels pretty damn good. I still love the Rig, but damn if it doesn't feel good to shift, and to ride the steep stuff that a SS can't do. I think I'm in love again, and fortunately, I already own the bike.....cause cash ain't growing on the trees in my back yard.

The piece of sh*t 3 houses down from us is selling for $400K. 1700 square feet, a small lot and nothing special about the house other than the location. This town is going through the damn roof. Its a wonder anyone can afford to live/work here. We're one lost job away from getting bounced ourselves......there's no way one of us could stay home and do kid/house duties. Hopefully, we can hang for a long time.

Happy Mother's Day - Mom....you're my favorite Mom! I wouldn't be even nearly as sick as twisted as I am without your genes.

And to Pen, Meg, and D. Have a great day today.

White Guy Problems

1.) I bought a new laptop and I'm having a hard time configuring it for my secure wireless network
2.) My full suspension Cannondale Scalpel is a love/hate relationship
3.) Banana Republic is out of Khakis

Allright, #3 is a famous George Carlin quote. Looking at the real issues out there, my stresses and concerns are pretty pathetic. I'm beginning to think that part of the reason I don't have a TV is so I can keep my ignoramus state of mind where life is good, the weather is great, and all I have to do is go to work, hang with my girls and dogs, chill with my friends, and ride my bikes. The good part of all this is that I didn't even know who/what Paris Hilton was until almost a year after her rise to infamy - but the flipside is that I have my head in the sand when it comes to genocide in Darfur, the rebuilding process in New Orleans, and some of the major issues in our state including water supply.

Ever seen those bumper stickers that say Think Globally, Act Locally.....well...that's my approach. I believe in bringing canvas bags to the grocery store instead of contributing to the ridiculous volume of plastic bags that invariably end up in the woods - biodegrading in 1000 years. I believe in questioning our local politicians and making them accountable for their decisions. I believe in high mileage vehicles so I drive a TDI Jetta. Conversely, I leave lights on at home, I'll ride in friends pimped-out SUV's, and I have never run for political office. I try, but I'm pretty f'n hypocritcal when I look at the full picture. F*ck...when am I gonna figure out this puzzle.

Well off to work and then some yardwork, and then a phat 5 hour MTB ride tomorrow to get ready for The Whiskey 50 next weekend. You know, more white guy problems.

Tyler Suspended....again?

Why the hell not suspend him and his twin. I think I'll follow the Giro for the scenery which includes great mountain passes, awesome cars, incredible architecture, and Italian podium girls. I'll also watch it for DiLuca - as I'd love to see him win it.

No racing for me this weekend unfortunately......we have a wedding at the resort, and I gotta be there for that. No big deal though. The good race is next weekend in Prescott - a 50 miler that I'm in sorta-good shape for. It'll take me 5 hours or a little less since the elevation gain/loss is pretty severe. I ran a 1/2 marathon on part of this course back in 1999 - and it about kicked me to the curb. 2:00 hours and 10 minutes for this punk, and I was beat down tired from it.

Somehow, I missed 'discovering' the band Buckcherry years ago. Back in '99 they released what I would call a great f'n album. I was driving home the other day listening the "BONEYARD" on XM - all hard rock/metal from the 80's and 90's and their song Get Back from 1999's self-titled debut caught my attention. Check 'em out. They'll be in Tempe, AZ this summer - gotta go hit that show.

Squirty B rode for 1 hour last night, all dirt singletrack, on her singlespeed dirt bike with her pal Jackson. They pushed each other like a couple of competitors on an MTB course. It was awesome to see the competitive nature that we are born with - and its really easy to see who has it at a young age.

BASSO Part II

Nice 'confession'. He sought out the services of a blood doper, but, didn't end up using Dr. Fuentes afterall....so, he's raced clean and he's glad he didn't do it. Whatever.......so long as we don't see any BELIEVE BASSO stickers. I get it.....he probably was on the way to the blood doping lab, but saw Floyd at the bar on the way - pounded a few Belgians and shots o' Jack - and didn't even realize he was drinking with Tyler Hamilton's chimera.

HAWAII

No, I'm not on my way, but D is with her friend who got a job at a National Park on the Big Island. So they are going out for a 6 day stint to get Mandy settled into a place to live etc...ect...I have a f'd up work week, as I'll have to cram 40 hours into 3 days so I can catch the hell up. I also have to find some time to ride, and there is a real estate deal I'm looking at with a small group of "investors" - ie friends. We have this idea of self-timesharing a cottage for ourselves in Oak Creek Canyon and renting it when we're not using it for other friends and family. It could work...I'd get 7 weeks a year to hand out, or accumulate rental income. That's enough on that since we don't even have an offer in.

I applaud Basso for 'fessing up about blood doping. The dude looked like he had a 10,000 pound monkey on his back ever since the start of Le Tour last year. Have you seen his sister?

The last MBAA (Arizona State Series) race is this weekend and that will make 5 straight that I have not made it to. The courses the pick suck. There are only 5 events - that sucks. At this point, the competition is not even that great because the good riders skip these races and go to stuff like Sea Otter, Fontana, etc.....It doesn't even hold a candle to the Wisconsin series - www.wors.org

I have no point, time to hit it.....

BACK ON TRACK......well, not really

The stomach flu came and went - and I was back riding by 3pm on Saturday. I still thought there was a possiblity I could lay some cable in my shorts, so I went with black. It ended up being a great road ride up to Snowbowl one and a half times. It was 36 degrees at 9,000 feet, and I rode the descent in snow flurries that were so dry that the road never even got wet. Sunday afternoon was a SS MTB "race" with some local dudes. It always starts out as "oh, let's just take it easy and ride" - yeah right - the pace was sick right from the get-go. I did not feel good, and got beat on some climbs by a true hardass who was riding a rigid FIXIE '82 Fuji road frame with 700C rims, moustache bars, a 43 x 20 gearing, old-school campy parts, a willier road stem, and a suspension seatpost. The stickers on the top tube said "don't hate me 'cause I'm beautiful". Yeah, well, come to find out "Klaus" owned a shop in Crested Butte, and he has ridden single speeds with Steve Garro (who now rides a self-made hand bike after crashing into a car head on at 45+.......ONLY this guy would survive that), and the other true hardasses of the sport for years. This was his first ride in 9 months. The f'r was sanbagging too - saying stuff like "man this is hard", and "whew, I'm just lucky to be hanging in with you guys". I couldn't take it anymore, and I just took off on the descent to get away from it all. YES - I was smoked by a dude on a bike that I would practically consider impossible to ride, but I was also being played by him, so I took advantage of his weakness and dropped him so I could get away from his incessant rapping about being drunk, owning every bike under the sun, fixing anything, and living everywhere in Colorado - it was enough to make me want to puke more than when I had the stomach virus. Glad that ride's over.

I have a weird week - more on that later.

SICK - backside and frontside

My sweet little daughter gave me AND d the stomach flu yesterday. I fled from work at 9:30am with a fever and nausea. Driving up the 1500 foot switchbacks almost had my breakfast on the floor of the car, but I gutted it out and saved the hurl for the porcelain at home. Laid in bed from 10:00 - 6:00, got up for a while and watched Erin Brockovich (does that make me gay) and went back to bed from 8:30 - 7am today. I still feel tired, but at least I can hold food down now. AND - I am no longer running to the pooper every hour like Tom Boonen should have during Paris Roubaix - although 200K, 1/2 of which on cobbles - on an aluminum frame - that would probably make me make a mess too. Happy Friday.

And - always wear black cycling shorts 'cause you never know....

ASS WHOOPIN'

So I was feelin' pretty good about my MTB speed, and I was feelin' really good about how I have been climbing on the road bike. After reading an article about Oscar de la Hoya always challenging himself by taking on tough opponents, I decided to follow suit and show up for the weekly CRIT over at Fort Tuthill. I didn't want to bite off too much, so I rode over in time for the 'B' level race....which only two dudes showed up for. So, we waited until the 'A' racers arrived at 5:30pm. Now I have only heard of most of these guys - Pro, 1, 2 racers in town that usually do well in the regioal events. There were 25-30 guys, so it was a big group. The pace was instantly up to 28mph and I was 5th from last for the first 7 laps when I looked behind me and saw no-one.....those dudes were shelled and gone. Guys then started blowing up in front of me, and were pulling off to the right as the pace hit 32. I hung on as long as I could - looked at my heart rate monitor - and absolutely blew like a Ford Pinto engine on the freeway when I saw my HR at 96% of max for one full lap. There were 10 guys left at that point, and I had to fall off and let them go.

Fortunately, the top dogs don't mind if you recover, and climb back on when you are able - just so long as you stay out of their way.

To sum it up, I got blasted. I wasn't last, but I sure as hell wasn't even in the top 50% of that group. Later that night, I got that nasty cough in your lungs when you know you lit your lungs on fire with a hard effort. Jesus - this reality check made me realize just how superior these top road riders are. I need to go back to bed - I'm tired just typing this.

Sincerely,

Career Cat 4-5 rider

Her shirt definately says it all. It's too bad Basso's jersey didn't say DOPER. At least we know where we stand with this ditch witch.

Somebody asked me the other day why I don't care that much about all the drugs in cycling. I said that in football, you get suspended 4 games for a positive 'roids test. In baseball, you get a 20-game rest the first time you are caught. There is no drug testing in the NHL, and if anybody is on 'roids that golfs?! I mean, look at that - none of the other sports leagues really take it very seriously, which makes me feel pretty good about the steps that cycling has taken to eliminate drug users. Barry Bonds is about to break the HR record in baseball and there is no way he could have done it without 'roids....so don't tell me cycling is any more tainted than a leisure sport like baseball. Christ, if it weren't for the Twins, I wouldn't even know what teams were in the league anymore.

Speaking of Golf, I would love to re-open the topic of weather or not golfing is a sport. I say no. I say its an activity, a leisure activity. Bocce ball or lawn darts could have become as popular as golf since they require the same level of fitness, but, guys love golf because they get outta the house/yard for 6 hours per round and they can get lit up on beers in a socially acceptable environment. There was an article comparing Tiger Woods' achievements versus Roger Federer's. Tiger is the king of golf, and I love to watch him aggressively hammer that ball - but that still doesn't make it a sport. Tennis will kick your ass - and tennis players can be elite athletes. I have no point, other than to just simply say to all you golfers out there who say that's your favorite sport - c'mon - just own up to the fact that you like to spend your weekends f'n around and drinkin' beers. You could get the same amount of exercise mowing your lawn with a cooler of Fosters Oilcans.

Oh, and 58 minutes probably won't get me too ready for the Whiskey 50 in 3 weeks. I'll get out this week - when and for how long, who knows. 24-9 is not lookin' good right now. I'm maxed on vacation, and I'll only get there if I get a 2nd quarter "kicker". I'll know in a month, but I really want to go - it's always a great time.

58 minutes

Yesterday, Lyza was sick with the stomach flu. So - I did skirt work for a few hours while she slept it off. Hit the back yard for some dude work...landscape stuff. She finally started feeling better around 6pm and I got her in to bed around 8:15pm. D rolled home around 8:45 and I was already packed to take my bike stuff to Snowbowl Road. Got to the bottom parking lot at 9:00 and rode up and down to mile marker 3 twice. 58 minutes - 35 was moderate work, the rest was coasting back downhill. Sometimes, that is all I can make time for.

It was gorgeous out - full moon, saw a couple of deer scamper across the road - it was kind of a reset button for the day. Well - back to reality today - it's 6:15am and I'm out the door to work.

I thought monks were supposed to be 'peaceful, spiritual gurus'? This dude is about to get a right haymaker on the chin.

I also thought John Edwards paid a little too much for his haircut....

And in closing, I also thought that THIS GUY was cleared. Another black eye for one of the sports I love - but then again, why put these guys above our own moral ground? I know dudes who would dope if they could pull a 3rd place in a local race.......and then have kidney failure at age 50. Good times!

BALANCE (Part II)

In chatting it up with one of our younger employees yesterday, I again realized how naieve I was when I was 25. I thought I had a lot of responsibility then. I thought I was 'busy'. Back then, juggling social engagements seemed hard. Now I realize that youth really is king.

So, I do my best to handle work, family time, wife, daughter, fitness, and finally the community stuff (coaching soccer, cycling team treasurer). I can't always get it right, but I do try to. Somebody, or something always gets the short end of the stick - and quite honestly, its almost always me.

What I wholeheartedly believe in is this philosophy: You make the most of your time - 5 minutes or 5 days. Meaning if you have 1 hour with your spouse, you make it count. If you have only 30 minutes to ride - grab your f'n bike and hammer for 30 minutes. If you're blessed to have an entire weekend with your family, then soak it up.

Life is great, and if you don't take it hour by hour, day by day - then you're cheating yourself by looking ahead. Get in the moment if you can.

SNOWBOWL

Usually around this time of year, we are only 2 weeks removed from ski season and the road up to Snowbowl is laden with cinders so cars can get up the road. This year - skiing ended in March, and the road is perfectly clean and ready to ride.

I got out this morning and rode up the climb 3 miles for a warmup, back down to the bottom, and then the full 6 mile climb. 40 minutes flat at about 85% effort - I never went into the red zone maxing the heart rate at around 168. Total ride time of 2:15. That doesn't mean much does it. Here's some perspective:

My previous personal best is 38 minutes
The 'record' is 26 1/2 minutes by a local pro
Anything under 40 is considered to be pretty good by the local club riders

So it's only April, and I feel pretty good about putting in a 40 minute effort over the 6 mile climb that gains 2000 feet of elevation (7000 - 9000). My goal by August is to shave 4 minutes off my time and get down to 36 minutes. That's still 10 minutes behind the top dude in town. It's frightening how fast some guys and chicks can go up that "hill".

OK - enough f'n around...I don't get paid to ride in perfect weather. I gotta go to work from 2pm - 10pm tonight. Better get rollin'.

JESSICA LYNCH IS:

Remarkably unwavering in her support of her country, and the US Army - despite the fact that she is a perfect example of how the military twists combat stories to improve morale for the deployed troops and the rest of us back home.

Permanently disabled from a blast in Iraq - as she and other troops were attempting to get the hell out of a hot spot.

In my opinion........a true hero for standing up and going against some agenda-driven politicals that were trying to make her story into something it wasn't.

On another note, I'm not even surprised to learn more about the covered-up Pat Tillman story. I'm not surprised because this sh*t has been going on for decades - its just that now its easier to uncover the lies that our elected officials and civil servants dole up to us everyday. Pat's decision to serve his country in spite of the fact that he had a family at home, and a high dollar pro football career is downright inspiring - I mean most Americans would define patriotism with the name PAT TILLMAN. I also remember when I heard he was going into Afghanistan to supposedly find Bin Laden - sh*t.....that was pretty cool to imagine. Ex-NFL hardass/overachiever gonna take down a psychopathic murderer on his own! In other words, I drank the kool-aid and bought the spin. I've been anti-war since hearing Bush's mousy, dipshit voice call our troops into Iraq back in March of 2003 - but something about Tillman made me think that there were guys out there that really might be able to end this conflict.

Jessica Lynch and Pat Tillman - here's to you both.

A lot of the women in my gen-set are getting "upgrades". I'm here to tell you that they are totally unnecessary, and the reality is that women put more pressure on each other than men do towards their spouses etc...

Afterall - here's the long-term ramifications of such an "upgrade"

Are those unshelled nuts in those holsters?

kinda MELLOW legs not JELLO

its been a super-relaxing weekend, with no plans, no agendas, and a go with the flow 'tude. The only item on the check-list is Lyza's soccer game today at 2:30pm.

I got out on a 2 hour ride yesterday morning - MTB....I was still feeling the effects of the Dawn-Dusk event last Saturday, and the cumulative effect of 6 days off the saddle. I warmed up slow, and rode myself into a groove that got better as the ride went on. It could not have been more fun, and by the end, I was feeling strong and could have easily gone another hour. BUT parental responsibilities reared their reality-based head and I cruised home with energy in the tank for once.

Today was a relaxing climb on the road up to the ski resort. I rode with Easy E. It was about 40 when we started, and it warmed up to maybe 45 when we were done. We rode 24 miles, climbed 3000 vertical feet over a 9 mile section, and talked the whole time. It was one of those rides you just relish every now and then because its just plain fun. We worked a little bit - just enough to keep warm. Easy E fired up the espresso machine at home, and we warmed up over a cup o' Joe.

I have a nice week coming up with 3 days to work my ass off, and I will of course squeeze in rides every day as I'm training a new employee from 2pm - The Wupatki Loop will be the highlight this week. The next goal is still the Whiskey 50.....if the forest is still open. Word has it that we may have some trail restrictions this summer - as early as mid-May. Bummer.

FRYday

I'm fried. Physically, no.....emotionally - yes. It's been one of those weeks loaded with little bites of shitburgers, and a massive POO POO shake. Business is slowing down finally, which feels good. Our new dog - Bodhi - has been a dream. I can't even believe he's a puppy as he is super mellow....just what I needed. Compared to Jamocha and Domino - Bodhi is like some zen-yoga vishnaya chamomile tea drinkin' pooch who just exudes the word CHILL.

Two rides scheduled for this weekend...both from 6am - 9am on the singlespeed. It's too cold to ride on the road at that hour (it will be 41 for a high tomorrow), and my Scalpel is getting a facelift:
-New Avid Juicy 7's (levers and rotors)
-New FSA wheelset with hubs (to be determined) and DT Swiss spokes

It might be 1/4 pound lighter, but that doesn't matter - it will ride better. I need it in 3 weeks for THIS. You may call me a pu**y for not riding this course on a singlespeed, but I'd call you a STUD if you tried it on a 32 x 18 or taller.

Other than that - yardwork, dog training, and I'm coaching Lyza's game on Sunday. I'm lookin' forward to the weekend!

CB

Dusk Til Dawn Update

We got a late start leaving Flagstaff on Friday, and I neglected to remember that New Mexico is on Mountain time - one hour later than AZ. I rolled into El Rancho hotel - the host hotel - at 10:45pm.....I thought I was there at 9:45. The timing chips were gone, and I was SOL with regards to getting myself and my bike set up the night before. We crawled up to our room, which was a dump - but at $40/night, what do you expect I guess. Asleep at 11:45pm and up at 4:45am to get some cereal in my system before heading to the race venue at 6:00am. It was 19 degrees when we got there, and DARK.......that was just awesome for my morale. Dana was freezing, and neither of us spoke for about 30 minutes. I finally got my timing chip and race number 10 minutes before the start of the event - which was 1/2 mile down the road. Quick change, cruise down to the starting line, and the gun went off within 1 minute of my arrival.

The sun was just up when we started, and I could feel its warmth coming through my jacket. I felt good, and I dialed the intensity way back so I didn't blow up early. As it turns out, since the entire course is singletrack - we were herded like cattle for the first 2 miles of climbing. You couldn't pass anyone if you wanted to, and it actually made for a really good warm-up. The climb was steep, but the trail was made so you could crank a singlespeed up it. I was talking with some fellow SS'ers as we were herding uphill and almost everyone was running a 32 x 20 gearing....I was on a 32 x 18 - which was way too tall for me about 7 hours later.

Things opened up at the top of the climb and the packs spread out. Two yahoo punks passed our group with no warning on the left......and I just kind of shrugged my shoulders - it was 7:20am, and we had a LOOOONG way to go. As it turns out, both of these windbags were so deflated on their second laps that they were getting passed by everyone.

The course was Grade-A. The trailbuilder gets a gold medal for creating a work of art. The trail was hard, but tacky for traction, and super fast. You could climb the tough sections if you are a good technical rider, and the support from volunteers was great. It was 61 degrees by noon, and the riding conditions were excellent.

I gutted out 4 13-mile laps in 7 hours (including about a 10-15 minute rest between each lap to re-fuel the gas tank). I was on the verge of not feeling good, and it was a good time to stop and call it a day. I was in 54th place out of 110 solo riders at that point, and I was in 4th out of 30 singlespeeders when I turned my chip in. The results should be up in a couple of days, and I probably slipped into the high teens, or early 20's since I bailed after 7 hours. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get 5 laps in, but I just didn't want to suffer that much to complete it. I do feel good about the fact that its mid-April and this is probably the fittest I have been this early in any given year. Next stop is probably the Whiskey 50 in Prescott next month. A few things I learned:

1.) It takes a special person to push themselves through serious pain and suffering. I do not have that ability because I am very cautious about causing long-term damage to my knees and back. Yeah, I'm a wuss.
2.) No matter how fit you feel, or are - your race day can be a disaster without solid planning and rest. I could have handled the 24 hours prior to the event much better and I will in the future.
3.) I find myself in a difficult spot. I'm not fast enough to win normal races (ie 2 hour events) unless I sandbag by entering an intermediate category, and I don't have the intestinal fortitude to always finish 12 hour events. So - I'll probably never make this a career.
4.) Today was the first time I actually put a timeline on the number of years I have left riding competitively. I mean realistically, you don't see a lot of competitive dudes out there in their 50's - some, yes, but racers in those categories drop off like a cliff compared to those in their 30's and 40's. I hope I don't only have 10 years of this stuff left. That would only be about 1200 more rides and less than 36,000 competitive miles to go. It makes me sick thinking about it.

So instead of thinking about it, I'm planning for Prescott....I can't wait!

CB

WTF?

Outta the blue we get 2 inches of snow last night - and it is going to be 61 degrees today. You'd think we are living in Wisconsin.

Picked up the new team kit last night, and a pro-deal order from RITCHEY. It was like Christmas -only better. Here's the evolution of our kit/clothing....we have gone from hideous to better. The new kits which are not on this link - are teal/white/black. I never thought teal was "in" again. Maybe it isn't, but I kinda like it.

We're leaving for Gallup this afternoon. I have a feeling that I'm going to bonk and bomb out - but that's because I haven't seen the course, and 12 hours is a long time. Keep it steady, keep the heart rate below 170, and just keep on going. I have an mp3 player with 3 hours of music, some tasty eats, and a hot chick in the pits to keep me motivated. Plus - it'll be 67 degrees and sunny. I'd say that's flat out optimal. Race report to follow on Sunday.

Here's the new addition to our stable of unstable beings. I think we got the one standing on the right.....an Aussie Shepherd we named Bodhi. D wanted a cool name that matched some of the Yoga Shakras (sp.?), so I spouted out BODHI having remembered the 1990's action movie Point Break with Swayze and Keanu - Swayze played a Zen/Surfer/Bank Robber character that was...pretty forgettable actually, but for some reason I can never get this movie out of my twisted head along with Pulp Fiction, Sin City, Payback, and I'm dying to see Grindhouse - back to the story though. Bodhi happens to mean this which we both agreed was pretty fitting, and now we have a cool little pupster in the house.

Have you heard this band yet? Get to know 'em - they got it goin' on. I'd love to see them live...but that probably won't happen in my one horse town.

SS is the choice for Dawn til Dusk. I'll either fail miserably, or kick some arse - no in between here.

OK

That's it - I can't gain any more fitness before this coming Saturday, so www.dawntildusk.com here I come. I still haven't decided if I'll ride the singlespeed or the gears. I'm gonna bring both and make the call at registration. SS is more fun, but gears are nice at the 10th hour.

It was a great weekend of riding, yardwork, mixed in with a little bit of work-work....you know, the kind that pays the bills. Oh, and it looks like we may have a new dog joining the family on Tuesday night. Deets to follow.

CB

Ahhhhh yes...

A 2-hour fun fest on the SS after work dulls the aggravations of the day, and livens my body and mind. I just washed and vacuumed my car and picked up 2 soymilks for the weekend. That's more than I've done on the homefront in 3 days. Yeah - that means the house isn't exactly clean, the laundry isn't exactly folded, and the toilets could use a little scrubbing. I'll save that stuff for a rainy day.

I felt pretty good. It was a steady 1 hour and 15 minute climb - followed by - surprise - a mostly downhill circle back home. The Rig is running beautifully, although being a SS it pretty much should.

I'll probably just work a burner-long day tomorrow, road ride to the east rim of the Grand Canyon via Cameron, AZ with D on Saturday and pound my ass into the ground in Sedona on the geared MTB on Sunday after working a half day. I wish I could accomplish some home improvements a la Josh, but I suck at fixing anything other than problems at work.

WWW.DAWNTILDUSK.COM

10 days 'till the fun-fest in Gallup. I got in a quick singlespeed ride last night, and I'm due for another one today - a road ride on Friday - a road ride on Saturday - and one final long, hard effort on the mountain bike Sunday in Sedona. Then - rest by hitting the above depicted device - a couple of times next week just to keep the legs loose. I hate rollers and trainers, but, they do a good job of keeping me in shape during my time with Squirty B the 5-year old action Jackson of Flagstaff.

I'm aiming for 6-7 laps on the singlespeed with less than 15 minutes of breaks during the 12 hours...just enough time to refill bottles, eat something more substantial than bars and gu, and a couple of minutes to relieve myself of the inevitable green mud that builds up in your bowels during a long effort. I thought you'd love that description Sheck. Let's just say you don't want to be in those shorts shown above after 12 hours.

Well - time to work and train....more to come.

STARS

If anyone ever again tells you how beautiful the stars looks on awards nights, or in the movies - remember - we're all mortal.

Good morning Babs! I'll get you a latte if you'll open your eyes for us.

TUCSON

We had a great visit to Tucson, albeit a short one. The weather was perfect-o, and it was fun to see Mom, Meg, Mike, Troy, and a little bit of Juan Grande. He had a carving workshop all weekend so we just caught him at night and in the AM. I'll dump some pics up tonight. My little Nephew T-Bone (Troy) is the man. He hiked about a mile by himself on a desert trail, and even after a couple of falls - he was still ready for the hot tub after.

I got in one ride on Saturday, and I buried myself in the span of one hour trying to catch and pass local hotshot riders. I had a great time, but I'm still feeling the effect of the effort.

Soccer starts tonight. Coach Chris at your service in charge of the Orange Tigers - the 5 year old division. I love this time of the year.